Insignia's Shroud
by SonOfTheSky
Summary: A year since the defeat of the Cloud of Darkness, Luneth finds a new land called Caurora. When framed and enslaved, the Warriors of the Light must band together again to fight a new enemy. LunethxAria ArcxRefia Please R&R, its my first story! PLZ!
1. The Land Called Caurora

**"NOTICE! THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR FF3 DS! IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO HAVE THE GAME RUINED, LEAVE! OTHERWISE, SIT BACK, AND ENJOY THE STORY. THANK YOU."**

**FFIII: Insignia's Shroud**

**Prologue**

It has been one year since the defeat of the Cloud of Darkness. The Warriors of the Light have gone their separate ways, and this story takes place at the beginning of the new year…

Ingus' prowess as a Red Mage, a Dark Knight, and mostly, a Ninja, impressed King Sasune, and he became a General in the king's army…

Refia returned to her father at Kazus, and began to train to become the best blacksmith in the town…

Arc returned to Ur, and his prowess as a Summoner led to his starting of a Chocobo Ranch…

And Luneth…

Luneth has not been seen for the entire year… He took the Invincible and disappeared, searching for new lands and new adventures… this story takes place at the time when he discovered the land called Caurora… and met the evil Insignia…

**Chapter One**

_It she saw it only for a second, but it was enough._

_"Look out!" the girl cried as she pushed Luneth out of the way. As the poison arrow pierced her heart, she fell to the ground. Her vision began to blur, she closed her eyes, and heard sounds of a battle. She heard cries of anger and rage, and the battle sounded furious. She felt a hand on her shoulder soon after the battle ended. Her vision began to blur, and she saw the silver-haired boy come up, worried._

_"Aria, hang on!" Aria shook her head._

_"Promise me… that you'll… return light to… the world… please…" The boy shook her gently._

_"Aria! Ariaaaa!" he screamed. As her eyes closed for the last time, she smiled… and felt a stream of tears flow onto her face…_

"No… no… ARIAAAA!!" Luneth shot out of bed, his Dragoon armor in a chest next to his bed. He was breathing heavily, his pillow soaked from tears. He looked around. "The Invincible…" He looked to his left and saw Mog, the Moogle on the Invincible. He never, ever slept, which puzzled Luneth a bit, but never asked about it. "Mr. Luneth, are you okay?" the Moogle asked innocently. Luneth nodded his head. "Yeah… I'm fine." Luneth flopped back down on the bed and sighed. He had kept having this dream over and over ever since he found this new land, which the inhabitants called Caurora. It had been a year since he had left home, but he knew that he couldn't go back. There were too many memories… His eyes closed as he fell back asleep. This time he slept peacefully.

- - -

"Mog! Could'ja help me steer the ship?" said a fully armored Luneth, Holy Lance strapped to his side. He was frustrated, sleep-deprived from waking up in the night. "Sorry, Mr. Luneth!" The Moogle zoomed to the front of the airship. "Left… right… left- no wait, right!" cried the Moogle as the ship crashed into a nearby cliff. Luneth turned his head to look at the Moogle. Mog was hiding behind a barrel, looking very embarrassed and upset.

"Sorry! Sorrrrryyyyyyy!" Mog said as he ran towards the beds, hiding under the covers. Luneth walked over and quickly scooped the Moogle up.

"It's okay, Mog. We're near a castle, and I can go ask them for some help." Luneth gave the Moogle a friendly pat on the head and smiled, then went to the stairs to exit the ship. As he climbed down, he was able to get a good look at the damage. The entire front of the airship had been crushed into itself. Luneth groaned. This would take weeks to fix. He groaned again, then turned toward the castle and started.

"Whoa…" The castle was entirely made of shining black stone, polished to a gleaming shine. He noticed a Ranger at every corner of the roof, and two Knights stood guard at the drawbridge. Luneth shook off his amazement and walked toward the drawbridge. As he neared the castle's entrance, the two Knights walked together and blocked his path.

"Oh, c'mon! I need help to get my ship fixed!" Luneth said. The two Knights stood firm.

"Is that your ship in the distance?" One of them asked, gesturing towards the Invincible.

"Yes. That's my ship." Luneth said. "Now can I please come in?" The other Knight spoke. "Our king would never speak with the likes of you!" Luneth grunted.

"C'mon! I really need some help!" The Knight's began to whisper to themselves. Before Luneth could ask what they were discussing, the Knights stepped back. "I suppose you could come in. We can give you help with the ship, but we can't let you see King Obsidian! You may pass!" Luneth stepped forward, still confused about the vicious Knights.

- - -

"My liege, the boy has come for help to fix his airship. Shall he enter?" asked a cloaked figure. His spoke with a drunken slur, and sounded ridiculous, yet the man on the throne pondered his words with integrity.

"Yes, I suppose." The cloaked figure sent a telepathic message to the front guards, and he saw the boy walk in.

"He looks like a fine specimen. Shall I bring him in?" The king thought again, then answered.

"No. He just needs his airship fixed." The cloaked figure sighed. "He has a very good muscle build. Looks like he's a Dragoon. Master one, too." The king suddenly sat up.

"A… Master Dragoon!? Bring him in at once!" he said sharply. The cloaked figure smiled under his hood and sent another message to the front guards. He saw a slight pause, then the Knights grabbed him and brought him into the front building.

"He is in the castle. Shall I get him?" The king sighed and lay back on his throne.

"Yes. Go fetch him and bring him here. That is my order. Go, Insignia!" Insignia's smile grew wider and eviler under his hood. He mounted the stairs…

- - -

"Hey! Get off of me!" grunted Luneth as he was tossed into the castle.

"The king wishes to see you! Good day!" said the persistent Knights as the closed the door behind him.

"Let me out! LET ME OUT, DAMMIT!" Luneth swore as he pounded against the door.

"Now, now. Swearing will get you nowhere in life." Said a raspy voice. Luneth froze, then turned around and saw a man in a black cloak. He was wearing a black tunic and a strange black crown on his head. "Who… who the hell are you?" Luneth swore again.

"When you stop swearing, I might tell you." the strange man began to walk up the stairs.

"Hey! Get back here!" Luneth began to run after him. The man stopped and turned around. Luneth skidded to a stop, panting.

"Thank you for not using a curse word that time. My name is Insignia. I am called the Obsidian Warrior, and I am a Master Onion Knight." The man said, bowing. "M-Master Onion Knight!?" Luneth was stunned. A Master Onion Knight! Amazing!

"I get that a lot when I meet someone. The king really does wish to see you. He seems interested in you. Not many travelers come in from other continents, and he has been bored. Do you have any tales you could tell him? It's for the best. Plus he may fix your ship for it." Insignia said in a cheerful, but still raspy, voice. Luneth was taken aback. Tell a story?

"Er… I do have one story, I guess…" he said.

"Excellent! The king has been very frustrated lately. There have been claims of monster attacks, every Knight, Ranger and Mage in the castle have been acting rebelliously, and for some reason, dead people have been rising up from their graves, alive and well, as if they never died at all. It's very strange." Said Insignia as the pair climbed the seemingly endless staircase.

"Yes… strange." Luneth commented. Insignia smiled grimly in his mind. The boy was so naïve, perfect for the plan… but he could not mention it now. "We are here." He said as they finally reached the door to the throne room.


	2. Loose Ends Are Tied

**Chapter Two**

"Your Majesty King Obsidian, the boy is here." Said Insignia's raspy, drunken slur as the boy entered with him.

"Ah… good. Boy, tell me your name." Said King Obsidian. Luneth hesitated for a bit, then answered.

"My name is Luneth, Your Majesty. I come from the town of Ur, on the Floating Continent. Why have you summoned me? I have done nothing wrong." He said. The king's face was stern for a moment, then he smiled.

"My boy, you speak the truth. You have done nothing wrong. I have summoned you because… well, it is a long story. You may want to sit down." Luneth was a bit baffled by the king's friendliness, then sat. "You see… I am bored. Every story in the Royal Archives has been read to me, and the last time we had a traveler with new stories was long, long ago. I am deathly bored. I have a deal for you. Tell me a story, and I will fix your ship. It may seem like an unfair trade, but if I hear about the origin of the Caurora Kingdom one more time… I am going to scream. Please… do you have any stories?" Luneth looked at King Obsidian's pleading face, and decided.

"I have one story you may be interested in…" and began to tell him about the journey he had gone on exactly one year ago…

- - -

It had been exactly a night and a half. The king had let Luneth stay in a room in the castle while he was here, and when the story was over, everyone who had heard the story, including the king, knew the entire thing. In fact, all of them had shed at least one tear.

"In the name of the Great Spirit beyond… The trials you and your friends went through are amazing… Royal Inscriber!" called the king. A young man, barely over twenty, stepped forward.

"Yes, my liege?" he said. The king gestured to Luneth. "I want you to write down all that Luneth has said in the Royal Archives. This tale… it deserves to be recorded." The man nodded and quickly walked away. Insignia was silent.

_"I knew it… there were people in his past who had died… They would make excellent slaves! I knew that the boy would be an asset to the plan! Hahaha…"_ He thought. He stood up and bowed. "Sir Luneth… please meet me in my room. I need to speak with you about something." He bowed again, then walked away. The king watched him leave, then turned to Luneth.

"You should go see him. He rarely calls anyone to his room. He must need to discuss something important. Go!" said the king. Luneth walked toward Insignia's quarters. Meanwhile, Insignia pondered the story he had heard. _"So many people died… perfect."_ He thought. He heard the doorknob wiggle, then the door opened. Luneth stepped inside and gazed at the room. The room was filled with strange, yet beautiful things. There were pictures on the wall of people and places, and a clock was on the dresser. There were also black spheres, targets made from wood and stone, and a bed made of black stone.

"Come, sit." Said Insignia as he patted the spot next to his bed. Luneth walked forward, then stopped and looked at the bed apprehensively. "Don't be so shy and sit." So Luneth sat down, reluctantly.

"I want to talk about the girl you spoke of." Luneth froze. "Y-you mean… A-Aria?" he stammered.

"Yes… I could see something in your face when you spoke of her… death." Insignia cringed. "It was as if… you had not let go of something about her. You loved her, didn't you?" Luneth suddenly became irritated.

"That's none of your business!" he said. Insignia did not get angry and throw him out, like he expected. Instead, he gave him a comforting smile. "I thought so. Let me tell you something. When my sister died, I never let go of her. She was the love of my life, and in a few years… she came back to me. If you never let go of Aria, she may come back to you. Remember this, my boy." He said. Luneth shed a single tear.

"Thank you, Insignia." He shook the Onion Knight's hand, and exited. When he was gone, Insignia grinned viciously. "Remember… because she may come back… sooner than you think, fool! As soon as that moronic king is out of the way, she'll come back… but you'll both be my slaves! Warrior of the Light, ha! I will rule!" he muttered as he walked to a pedestal holding a stone shaped like an angel. "Lucifer Statue… revive the people I name… and send a monster to assassinate the king. It's time to put the plan into motion. Hahahahahahaha!" He laughed, as it was time for the Age of Insignia to begin.


	3. Reunion

Hi! Nice to see you! Regarding the short chapter review, I've tried to make this one much longer! Also, don't expect quick updates. I just got Super Mario Galaxy(WOOHOO!), so I'm gonna be distracted a LOT. Anyway, on with Chapter Three!

- Sky "Sora" Prower

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**Chapter Three**

Three weeks have passed. The Invincible has almost been fixed. Mog decided to stay with Luneth in his room in the castle, and Luneth decided to talk with Insignia every day. In fact, Insignia has become like a father to him. On a bad note, the king has become increasingly frustrated, and has been having fits of rage much more frequently. And the mysterious statue in Insignia's room? Nothing new.

- - -

The girl tried to catch her breath. She was dragging tons of pale blue stones across the slave grounds. She didn't know what it was, but she heard from a guard that it might be Orichalcum. She didn't really care what it was at the moment, so long as she could leave. Since she was so frail, she couldn't mine stones very fast. Everyone else had already left. As she reached the guard, she placed the bag in front of him.

"Is this enough?" she asked. The guard peeked into the bag quickly, then shut it and tied it.

"Yeah. It's 'nuff. Get outta my sight!" the guard said gruffly. The girl walked back to the castle slowly, the guard following behind her. She cried a little. Why had she been brought back to the world, only to go through this?

- - -

Luneth opened the door to his room, exhausted. He had been kept up by Insignia most of the nighttalking and drinking. Mog flew up to him.

"Is something wrong, kupo? Mister Luneth?" he asked. Luneth sighed and flopped down on the soft bed.

"Nothing… nothing's wrong. I'm just tired." He said. Right now, nothing compared to lying on his nice, soft bed. God, he knew he was drunk. Hoo boy. He sighed again and turned over onto his back. Mog flew up to him and snuggled up on top of the dresser, on top of a little pillow. Luneth looked over, smiled, then pulled the covers over him and fell asleep. Little did he know that this night would change his life forever…

- - -

Insignia said goodbye to Luneth, closed the door, and sat on a chair, listening intently. As soon as he knew that Luneth was gone, he slipped away to the Lucifer Statue. Its eerie purple glow emanated all around the hidden room.

"Lucifer Stature… you have revived people for me, and summoned monsters for me… why do you not send a monster to destroy the king, as I asked?" he said. The Lucifer Statue suddenly began to shake, then stopped abruptly.

"Because… I send monsters to be commanded… not monsters that do jobs. Do it yourself. After all… you are already a traitor, aren't you?" said a raspy, dark voice, dripping with sarcasm. Insignia shuddered with fear.

"Y… Yes. You're right. I'll do it myself." Insignia said. He took a pale blue knife from the floor and began to sharpen it. When it was sharpened enough, he left the room and began to walk to the king's chamber.

- - -

Twelve o'clock AM. All life in the castle is asleep. Except for a traitor who just entered the king's bedroom. Insignia quietly walked up to the king's bed. He raised the knife.

"I hope you go to Hell… King Obsidian." He plunged the knife down… and the king died. No scream, no gasp, not even his eyes opened. He was dead. Insignia moved the knife forward and back a little to widen the wound. The king, dead? How shocking! He knew just the person who had done it, too. He left the room, and went down the corridor to his chamber. He waited. And waited. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a loud scream. He smirked. Time for the fun to begin.

- - -

Luneth woke up to find himself in an unfamiliar room with a splitting headache and pain everywhere.

"Oooh… god… I'm never drinking again… aaagh…" he said. The pain was unbearable, but it seemed to be slowly vanishing.

"Hold still! I haven't finished curing you're injuries. And keep your voice down, we're not supposed to talk at night." Said a female voice. Luneth was a bit surprised that someone else was in here with him, but did as she said and waited patiently.

"Where am I? I remember drinking with Sir Insignia… then going to sleep… and here I am." He asked.

"You're in the castle's dungeon, along with the other slaves. They fill the cells up with up to five people, then send the next person to a different cell. This hallway is deserted except for us two. I've actually have to thank you for ending up in here, because I've been lonely." She explained.

"A slave!? Why!?" Luneth explained. He berated himself in his mind. He knew that he should've left earlier.

"I don't know the details, but they say that you killed the king. Honestly, you don't sound like someone who would do that, so I don't believe it. However, the guard did tell me that since you were drunk, you slept through your trial. They sentenced you to slavery and a good beating. I'm trying to heal you right now. Cura." She said. Blue sparks flowed from her fingertips and flowed into Luneth's body. He sighed with pleasure.

"Thank you so much. I feel so much better." He replied. He turned to look at his companion, but the cell was so dark that her face was hidden. Even though the barred window let some moonlight in, it was still quite dark. Luneth decided to try a different option.

"Hey. What's your name?" He asked.

"I'm… My name's Aria. Aria Benett." She said. Luneth froze. Aria… Benett!?

"Aria… Benett!? But… you… how… Aria!!" He cried. Aria put her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"What? What's so strange about my… name…" she trailed off as the moonlight illuminated Luneth's face. She gasped, then tackled Luneth into a hug, knocking him onto his back.

"Luneth!!" she yelled. As she tightened her embrace around Luneth, happy tears dribbled down her cheeks and onto Luneth's chest. Luneth patted her back in shock. Aria? Alive? Here? Was he going insane!?

"Is… is it really you? You're really here!? How?" Silently, he tried to take in the fact that she was here, albeit in a jail cell with him.

"Luneth… It's you…" she cried. "How I'm here doesn't matter now, not now that you're with me… Luneth…" she began to snuggle into his chest, and began to softly snore. She was asleep. Luneth sighed.

"Oh well. Guess I'll ask tomorrow." He said. He was still worried about why he had been locked up, but he was way too tired to think any longer. Cuddling up with Aria, he smiled happily before falling asleep himself.

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Well? How was it? Don't expect another quick update, because this only happened because I had a bunch of inspiration all at once. But still read and review please!

- Sky "Sora" Prower


	4. Beginning of Slavery

I want to take the time to thank all of my reviewers. Since I'm new, you helped me overcome my latest case of writer's block. Oh, and to Ultima00: Beat Galaxy? Are you kidding? I haven't beat Sunshine - heck, I haven't even beat 64 yet! And to Hibaname, yes, it was a bad plan to frame Luneth. Chapters 1 through 3 I had for the beginning, but thinking up new chapters without quick bursts of inspiration is hard. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter! ;

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**Chapter Four**

Luneth's eyes fluttered open to see moonlight in a prison cell. He moaned in pain. He was a slave. He was beaten everywhere. He didn't think that his life could get worse until he looked to his side and saw Aria curled up next to him, her head next to his, her arm around his neck, and a sweet smile on her face. Then he smiled back and, using his free hand (Aria was covering one side of him), stroked his fingers through her hair. He did this for some time until she began to stir. Her fingers curled up into a fist, and her eyes opened.

"Luneth?" she said. "Why aren't you moving?" Luneth chuckled softly.

"Well… I can't. You've got me in an arm grip. Heh." Aria suddenly removed her arm from his chest, blushing a light pink. He sat up and stared into her big brown eyes. She stared into his violet ones in turn. After a few seconds, Luneth broke the silence.

"How did you… you know… get here?" he asked. Aria lowered her head in sadness, then spoke.

"I… I don't know. I remember hearing you screaming my name, then my cheek getting wet, and darkness… and then I find myself in front of a guy completely dressed in black wearing a black crown. I tried to run away, but he grabbed me and tossed me down. He made me talk about everything that happened… I don't remember his name…" Aria trailed off, unsure of what to say, it seemed.

Luneth immediately replied, "… Insignia?" Aria's face lit up. "Yes… yes, that was what he said his name was…"

Luneth's temper flared. "But that can't be! He was so nicec to me! He didn't hurt me anytime I was with him. Why would he do this!?" He got up and began to punch the wall.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Luneth swore over and over again. He noticed that Aria had stepped back and went under a blanket on a pile of hay. He walked over and got on his knees.

"Aria… you can trust me. I'll never hurt you or let anyone hurt you." He said.

Aria peeked her head out from under the blanket. It was actually kind of cute. "Promise?" she asked.

Luneth smiled and got under the blanket with her, making her blush a deep scarlet. "I swear it on my honor." He said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She blushed even deeper when he did this. She was like a cherry wearing a dirty white dress. She snuggled into him and soon fell asleep again. Luneth stroked her hair a bit before falling asleep himself. Before he left for Dreamland, he whispered into her ear, "I love you…"

- - -

Insignia paced in his room, grinning evilly. The trial, however brief it had been, had gone exactly as planned…

_"This judgment will now come to order!" said the royal advisor. Insignia was there, holding the sleeping form of Luneth up. The royal advisor stared at the body angrily._

_"Now, our Highness, King Obsidian, was murdered exactly two hours ago. The wound suggests that a lance was used. Does the defense have anything to say?" Luneth remained silent._

_"Then the defense is found guilty!" The royal advisor slammed a hammer down, and the verdict was in…_

_Luneth was framed…_

Insignia walked toward the king, who was under a white sheet, inside a coffin. He looked at the sheet and smiled darkly.

"You are dead…" He snarled.

- - -

It was morning. The dawn's soft light shone on Luneth and Aria, awakening them. Aria rubbed her eyes as Luneth stretched his arms and legs. She looked at Luneth and smiled.

"Sleep well?" she asked. Luneth looked at her and gave her a quick hug.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Aria suddenly changed his face to a sad frown. Luneth saw this and put his hand on her shoulder. Aria was comforted by Luneth's prescence.

"I hope they go easy on you today… mining is hard work…" She muttered. Luneth gave her a confused look.

"Mining? Go easy on me? What are you-" He was cut off as Aria spoke.

"Luneth, we're slaves. We have to mine blue rocks every day; the more, the better. If we find enough to fill a medium-sized bag, we can go back to our cells… but since I'm not very strong… I'm almost always last…" Luneth's expression hardened. The next few days were going to be hard…

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Somehow, this chapter turned out differently than I had imagined it originally. Anyway, please R&R! Oh, and I'll be posting up short things about games I'm currently playing. Starting with...

Super Mario Galaxy: Finally got to the 60-Star mark! Now I just gotta get 60 more!


	5. Intermission

**Insignia's Shroud FAQ**

**------------------------------------------**

Hi everyone! Sky here. Now, I know that you probably think that this is the next chapter of Final Fantasy III: Insignia's Shroud. However, I think that I should clear up a few questions that I have been receiving in personal messages. So here we go!

**Question One: When does this take place?**

In the summary, it says a year, but if you want to go into detail, the story begins in October. Why October? Because that's when I finally finished the game:D

**Question Two: Why is Luneth a Dragoon? In my game, he's a Knight!**

For this story, I'm using the jobs that I used to finish the game, which you can find in the first chapter.

**Question Three: Do Luneth and the others have last names?**

They are not official last names, but I like them because they are catchy, and seem to go with their personalities:

Luneth Gainsborough

Arc Highwind

Refia Lockhart

Ingus Strife

**Question Four: Is this your first story that you've written? 'Cause it doesn't seem like it!**

In all honesty, no. After watching the last few episodes of the third season of Sonic X, I started a short fanfic about Tails, Cosmo, and what happened afterward. I wrote a few sequals and a few other things. But this I've had the idea for this story for quite a while, so I wanted to get this done first.

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There. I answered all the questions. I hope this clears up anything that you've been wondering. Oh, and here is a review answer.

Ultima00: So? I just got my Wii power cable back a couple weeks ago, and needed to readjust to it's controller (I haven't had it since the start of the school year).

I hope that you look forward to the next chapter!

Sky "Sora" Prower


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